Exhibition Overivew

Exhibition Overview

Look beyond the Hollywood stereotypes to experience a living religion that profoundly expresses the Haitian national experience in Vodou: Sacred Powers of Haiti, appearing only at The Field Museum from October 24, 2014, through April 26, 2015.

Come stand among the legion of “Lwa,” or spirits, who vividly personify everything from love and sensuality to the courage of warriors. Witness the sights and sounds of a ritual possession ceremony, and get a rare look into the workroom of a Vodou secret society.

At the heart of this exhibition are more than 300 objects, including altars, vivid mixed-media sculptures, drums, sequined-covered flags, and charismatic, large-scale representations of spirits. Rather than being enclosed behind glass, almost all the objects appear in open-air displays, allowing you to forge an unforgettable, emotional connection with them.

Hear from Vodou practitioners, who share their stories and encourage you to reflect on your own faith and traditions. Discover how their spiritual beliefs reveal the Haitian collective remembrance of triumph over slavery, and see why Vodou remains a vital force today in the contemporary world beyond the borders of this island country.

Fighting Spirits

A highlight of the exhibition are dozens of human-sized figures portraying Lwa (Vodou spirits), all of which are displayed in the open air. Particularly formidable and beautiful are portrayals of “fighting Lwa,” who embody the triumph over slavery and oppression in Haiti.

No longer known as “voodoo,” the religion is written as Vodou (pronounced voh-DOO) by practitioners, scholars, and the United State Library of Congress.

The Fair’s Ferris Wheel

The Fair covered 630 acres, including Chicago’s Jackson Park and the Midway Plaisance—a narrow strip of land designated as an amusement area. The Midway skyline was dominated by the 250-foot Ferris wheel, designed by engineer George Ferris.

The famed wheel may have been an engineering marvel and the largest attraction; but it wasn’t the most groundbreaking innovation at the Fair. New technologies such as alternating current and the electric light bulb—used throughout the grounds at night—made the Fair the largest user of electricity in the 19th century.

Meet the Father of Modern Taxidermy

Among the Fair’s many taxidermy displays, Carl Akeley’s were exceptional. The Museum’s first zoology curator took notice and hired Akeley as Chief Taxidermist. In 1896, during Akeley’s first collecting trip to Africa for the Museum, he had to use his bare hands to kill a leopard that attacked him.

Akeley transformed taxidermy from the practice of stuffing skins with straw to a process that included mounting skins over life-like sculptures. The elephants in the Museum’s main hall are an example of his work.

Herbarium Specimen Sheet

As the Fair closed, esteemed botanist Charles Millspaugh gathered exhibits for the new Museum and became the first botany curator. He immediately went into the field, setting the course for our botany collections.

The stamp seen here on his herbarium sheet—the method botanists use to preserve plants—notes the Columbian Museum of Chicago, a name the Museum possessed only briefly before it opened to the public.

Elmer Riggs & Brachiosaurus Bones

Initially thought to be from a large Brontosaurus, the huge femur (thighbone) in the plaster cast on the left is actually from Brachiosaurus, a dinosaur discovered by Elmer Riggs (center). He declared it the “largest dinosaur ever known.”

In addition to collecting specimens like this one for the Museum after the Fair closed (the Fair displayed no real dinosaur bones), Riggs carried out research that shaped the field of paleontology. He’s credited with removing Brontosaurus, the name given to a misidentified Apatosaurus, from dinosaur vocabulary.

Fighting Spirits

A highlight of the exhibition are dozens of human-sized figures portraying Lwa (Vodou spirits), all of which are displayed in the open air. Particularly formidable and beautiful are portrayals of “fighting Lwa,” who embody the triumph over slavery and oppression in Haiti.

No longer known as “voodoo,” the religion is written as Vodou (pronounced voh-DOO) by practitioners, scholars, and the United State Library of Congress.

Opening Day at The Field Museum

The Field Columbian Museum, known today as The Field Museum, opened in the former Palace of Fine Arts building in Jackson Park on June 2, 1894.

It wasn’t until 1905 that the Museum was organized into the natural history museum you know today. In 1921, the Museum moved from its original location on the fairgrounds to its current location in Chicago’s South Loop.